Skills for Life: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Equality, diversity and inclusion is one 10 hour Pearson unit that learners combine with others into a Pearson Skills for Life or Skills for Work Award, Certificate or Diploma, at any level from Entry 1 to Level 2. Learners give examples of equality, diversity and inclusion, describe or explain why they matter in settings such as school, work and the community, and take part in, plan or deliver an inclusion activity. The centre sets and marks the assessment. Digital demand is low: no criterion needs a computer. Digital work sits in suggested online research, digital presentations and recording the inclusion activity, plus the rule that sources and AI use must be acknowledged.
- Awarding body
- Pearson
- Level
- Entry Level 1 to Level 2
- Guided learning hours
- 10
- First taught
- September 2027
- Amount of digital work
- Low
- Specification
- Open the specification
How this unit is assessed
- Entry Level (Entry 1, Entry 2, Entry 3): One assessment criterion at each of Entry 1, Entry 2 and Entry 3: list, outline or identify everyday examples of equality, diversity and inclusion and take part in a simple inclusion activity. There are no mandatory evidence requirements. Evidence is internally assessed by the centre, using the Pearson Authorised Assignment Brief or its own assignment, and quality assured through Pearson standards verification. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
- Level 1 and Level 2: One assessment criterion at each of Level 1 and Level 2: describe (Level 1) or explain (Level 2) equality, diversity and inclusion in at least two or three settings, and contribute to planning an inclusion activity (Level 1) or plan and deliver one independently (Level 2). There are no mandatory evidence requirements. Evidence is internally assessed by the centre and quality assured through Pearson standards verification. 10 guided learning hours, graded Pass or Fail.
Skills that use Storing and sharing
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Recording the inclusion activity as evidence
Every level includes taking part in, planning or delivering an inclusion activity, and the specification says achievement cannot be inferred from performance, so centres usually capture it with photographs, video or observation records. Annexe C names recording as a digital link. Learners need to store the files and think about consent before recording or sharing images of other people; the recording method itself is not assessed.
DCF: Identity, image and reputation, Storing and sharing, Online behaviour and online bullying
Getting pupils ready
- Year 7
- Pupils take photographs of a class team game on a school tablet, ask each person before photographing them, and save the images into a named folder.
- Year 8
- Pupils film a one minute clip of a group activity, check everyone in it is happy to appear, and upload it to the class shared drive with a clear file name.
- Year 9
- Pupils agree a short consent checklist for recording an inclusion event, then decide which photos can be shared on the school website and which must stay private.
Show the specification wording and the DCF statements
Where it is in the specification: Unit SfL 7, assessment criteria Entry 1 to Level 2, page 38; Internal assessment, page 9; Annexe C, SfL 7 row, page 161
“Examples of forms of evidence include observation records, witness testimony, and products of learners' work.”
Progression step 3
I can think critically about information shared online, e.g. the impact of sharing images and videos, metadata of images and videos.
I can manage files and folders locally or online, e.g. move files to a folder.
Progression step 4
I can understand that photographs, locations and tags can be tracked and can make informed decisions accordingly.
Good to know
- The unit is Unit SfL 7 and the unit summary lists it at "10" guided learning hours, half the 20 hours of the WJEC unit of the same name (Unit summary, page 5).
- A learner achieves the unit once at one level: "Learners can only achieve each unit once, at a single level" (Rules of Combination, page 6), so a school cannot bank Entry 3 and then resit at Level 1.
- Every level requires a practical inclusion activity, from "participate in a simple inclusion activity" at Entry 1 to planning and delivering one independently at Level 2 (Essential information for assessment decisions, pages 38 to 39), so plan time and people for it.
- The specification gives no unit content: content "can be found in the Teaching and Learning Support document for this unit" and "is compulsory except when 'e.g.' is given" (Unit content, page 39), so schools need that separate document.
- Evidence is open: "there are no mandatory evidence requirements and centres can select the type of evidence" (Essential information for assessment decisions, page 39), but "achievement cannot be inferred from performance" (Internal assessment, page 9), so the activity needs a record such as an observation record or photographs.
- AI is allowed only if acknowledged: "A learner will have committed malpractice if they use AI tools without acknowledging them" (Requirements relating to permitted/prohibited resources, page 40).
- The Authorised Assignment Brief is optional: "AABs are not mandatory" and centres can adapt it or write their own (How to use this document, page 1).
- The unit page says its cross-cutting themes evidence "can be found in Annexe E" (page 41), but Annexe E has no row for SfL 7; it lists SfL 1 to 5 and then jumps to SfL 18 (Annexe E, pages 170 to 172).
Links with other qualifications
The WJEC Skills Suite has its own Equality, diversity and inclusion unit, which is twice the size at 20 guided learning hours, has four learning outcomes with separate criteria, and requires learners to cover rights, discrimination and, at Level 2, legislation; the Pearson unit has one broad criterion per level and puts more weight on taking part in, planning and delivering an inclusion activity. Both link with GCSE Social Studies on identity, rights and diversity, and with GCSE Religious Studies on discrimination and prejudice. Within the WJEC Skills Suite the closest units are Fairness and inclusion in the workplace, Values for life, Understanding self and others and Community participation. The digital research and presentation work is general and builds on GCSE Digital Technology skills without overlapping its content.
Source: Pearson Entry Level 1 to Level 2 Skills for Life Award, Certificate and Diploma Qualifications specification, Issue 1, August 2026, Unit SfL 7: Equality, diversity and inclusion.